Living

Notes:

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living

Notes:

Living married Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Notes:

Arthur Villarosa
Holmdel - Arthur Villarosa, a long time resident of Holmdel, NJ, lived 89 wonderful years and departed this world on the morning of Saturday, May 14, 2022 in Kirkland WA surrounded by many of his children and grandchildren.
As he often said, Art lived a great and full life that he wouldn't change for anything. He saw the world, had a successful career, friendships everywhere he went, an adoring wife, and, most importantly to him, a big, beautiful family. He spent 54 years with the love of his life, Nancy Villarosa, with whom he had four children: he is survived by Gregory (Barbara), Joan Villarosa Kostal (Hubert Kostal), Teri and Joseph (Kim). Art was also the beloved and immensely supportive grandfather to nine grandchildren: Greg, Margo, Kevin, Christian, Francesca, Alexis, Lily, Joseph, Lucy, and he was an especially doting great-grandfather to Silvanis. Art is also survived by two sisters, Dolores Bigby and Diane Gilmore; many, many nieces and nephews; and his loving companion of the past 9 years, Georgia Kaminski.
Art was born in Wilkes-Barre PA on 2/21/1933, the middle child of 15 in a family full of love. The family moved to Bergen County NJ where Art graduated from Westwood High School. At 18 he joined the Navy on a whim embarking on a path that would set him up for a future of great success. Surprising himself by the high aptitude he demonstrated in testing upon enlistment, Art was trained as a radar technician and deployed towards the end of the Korean War aboard the USS Clarence Bronson. Art returned to NJ where he soon met the lovely Nancy Richards and they married on August 30, 1958.
A testament to the strong character and work ethic he exhibited throughout his life, Art worked as a brick mason to support his young family while simultaneously pursuing a university degree. Laying literal foundations for homes while also laying the foundation for much future professional success and family security. Upon graduating with his BS in Electrical Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinsen (He would later also earn an MS from NYU), Art was recruited by AT&T Bell Laboratories where he build a long, successful career including many years working on Electrical Switching Systems (ESS) technologies. He retired as a Department Head in 1985 and went on to build a technological consulting business with his close business partner, George Liou.
Art was an avid golfer and long time member of the Beacon Hill Country Club. He shared this pastime with many friends, his children and some of his reluctant grandchildren. He loved to play bridge, so much so he would organize classes to garner additional playing partners. He loved to travel with Nancy, and later Georgia, and friends. Art had a love of boating and developing rich social connections. He was an honorary life time member and former Commodore of the Shrewsbury River Yacht Club.
A memorial service will be held Friday, June 3, 2022 at 10:30 am at St. George's By the River, 7 Lincoln Avenue, Rumson, NJ 07760. Reception will follow from 12-3 pm at the Shrewsbury River Yacht Club. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County. Attn: Foundation, 106 Apple Street, Suite 110, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724

Asbury Park Press
Posted online on May 27, 2022

Arthur married Nancy Joan Richards on 30 Aug 1958 in Ridgewood, Bergen Co, New Jersey. Nancy (daughter of John B Richards) was born on 6 Jan 1939 in Paterson, Passiac Co, New Jersey; died on 9 Dec 2012 in Holmdel, Monmouth Co, New Jersey; was buried about Dec 2012 in Holmdel Cemetery and Mausoleum, Monmouth Co, New Jersey. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Nancy R. Villarosa, Holmdel, NJ, died Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012 at New York Presbyterian - Columbia Hospital surrounded by her loving family. She grew up in Ridgewood NJ and graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1956. She was the beloved wife of Arthur Villarosa. They were married for 54 years. She was the adoring mother of Gregory Villarosa, Joan Villarosa Kostal (husband Hubert Kostal), Teri Villarosa, and Joseph P. Villarosa (wife Kim Villarosa). She had nine beautiful grandchildren, Gregory A., Margo, and Alexis Villarosa; Christian and Francesca Kostal; Kevin Villarosa; Lily, Joseph and Lucy Villarosa with whom she had close, loving relationships. She is also survived by her sister, Barbara Misischia and husband Frank Misischia and brother, Robert Hyslop Jr. as well as many nieces and nephews. She lived in Holmdel for 40 years and was a member of the Shrewsbury River Yacht Club and Beacon Hill Country Club. She was an avid bridge player participating in numerous woman's and duplicate bridge groups. Over the years, she volunteered her time at several local hospitals. She made a lasting impression on everyone she met, all who knew her considered her a personal friend. Viewing will be held on Friday, December 14 from 5 -8pm at John E Day Funeral Home, 85 Riverside Ave., Red Bank NJ. 732 747-0332 A viewing and the religious ceremony will be held Saturday, December 15 from 9:30-11:30am at the John E Day Funeral Home followed by the burial at Holmdel Cemetery on Holmdel Road in Holmdel.

Notes:

Married:
Village Girl is Bride of Mr. Villarosa Marriage vows were exchanged yesterday [30 Aug 1958] in the First Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, between Miss Nancy Joan Richards, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Hyslop of 58 John St, Ridgewood, and Arthur Villarosa, son of Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Villarosa of 49 Wanamaker Ave, Waldwick [New Jersey]. Dr. Charles A. Platt, pastor officiated.
- The Sunday News, Ridgewood NJ; 31 Aug 1958

Nancy Richards, Mr. Villarosa Ridgewood Sept 2 1958 - Miss Nancy Richards, daaughter of the late John B. Richards and step-daughter of Mrs. Robert S. Hyslop of 53 John Street, was married to Arthur Villarosa Saturday in the First Presbyterian Church. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Villarosa of Waldwick. The bride, given in marriage by her step-father, Robert S. Hyslop, wore embroidered nylon and organdy. Miss Judith Wills was maid of honor. Bridesmaids were the Misses Nancy Spence, Phyllis Ahrens, and Barbara Hyslop, the bride's sister. Best man was Richard Villarosa, brother of the bridegroom. Ushers were Allan Villarosa, another brother, Anthony Frank, and Philip Suraci. The bride's brother Robert was junior usher. Mrs. Villarosa is employed by the North Jersey Trust Company, Ridgewood. Mr. Villarosa served 2 years in the Navy and is a senior at Fairleigh Dickinson University. - The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey, 02 Sep 1958, Tue, Page 28

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Coyne

Notes:

Clifford Coyne Cooley was literally born into the newspaper business

(Medical):Other significant conditions: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and generalized arteriosclerosis. Physician: Richard H. Tedrick, D.O., 501 Main, Akron, Colorado 80720 Signed 7 Dec 1979

Buried:
Akron Cemetery, CO
Akron Cemetery is a Cemetery in Washington County, Colorado. It has an elevation of 1,430 meters, or 4,692 feet.

Degrees Minutes Seconds:
Latitude: 40-09'39'' N
Longitude: 103-13'48'' W

Decimal Degrees:
Latitude: 40.1608333
Longitude: -103.23

Clifford married Margaret May Sears on 21 Jun 1936 in Akron, Washington Co, Colorado. Margaret (daughter of Nelson Evans Sears and Edna Maude Barnhouse) was born on 23 May 1912 in Akron, Washington Co, Colorado; died on 18 Jan 1987 in Akron, Washington Co, Colorado; was buried on 21 Jan 1987 in Akron Cemetery, Washington Co, Colorado. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Margaret May Sears was born 23 May 1912 in Akron, Washington County, Colorado, to Nelson Evans Sears and Edna Maude Barnhouse. She was born in her parent's house on the east side of town as were her elder brother, Alva Raymond, in 1910, and her younger sister, Faye Eleanor, in 1914, all delivered by a Dr. Kaylor. That house on the northeast corner of the block at present 5th and Date had some interesting history. Margaret's maternal grandparents, Ira Morgan Barnhouse and Mary Francis Albin, had moved the entire house from the country (Woodrow) into the east side of Akron several years before and had lived there until Nelson and Maude moved-in in 1910 just before Alva's birth. Ira and Mary consequently moved to a newly-built house on the southeast corner of the block (at present 4th & Date). But there's more. Nelson and Maude also moved their entire country house in (also from the Woodrow area) and had joined it to the house left by Ira and Mary. Margaret describes their house on the northeast corner of the block: "There was a driveway leading into the yard from the north where a car (or maybe a wagon, earlier) could park right by the back door. Across the driveway, west of the house, was our windmill. That's where we got our water for everything. Mother used a galvanized tub and a wash basin to do the [clothes] washing. The tub was moved into the kitchen for our weekly baths [our kitchen] opened out onto the back room (we always called it the back room) where mother washed [dishes] and where some things were stored and where the cellar was." The cellar (probably a storm cellar used to escape the dust) was a place of dark mystery: "A lift-up door opened up to the cellar where mother kept the jars of food she canned in the fall. Other foods that had to be kept cool were stored there. A black and scary hole in the ground I thought it to be." A barn stood to the west of the house, across what would now be the alley of that block. That barn, in fact, still stands in 2007 as depicted in the picture above. Margaret describes the barn: "There was the big red barn west of the house the north part of the barn was a garage. In the south part [were] stalls and mangers with an aisle running between them. My father kept a sow (for our supply of milk, plus a few families we sold to) for several years and in the west stall a horse named Dick." While the cellar was a mysterious hole in the ground the barn was a cornucopia of childhood delights, especially for the two girls of the family: "When we children were small we had a swing in the aisle that ran between the east and west stalls. What fun it was to swing there. The hayloft entrance was at the north end of the aisle, a ladder leading straight up to the left. We used to play up in the loft, jumping around in the hay and having lots of fun." Ira Barnhouse had been in the Civil War, having participated in Sherman's March to the Sea, but returned in poor health with dysentery for the rest of his life. He died 4 Apr 1914 and is buried in Akron Cemetery. Margaret didn't remember her grandpa Ira but she had vague memories of her grandma Mary. When Margaret started school (kindergarten) in 1917 the old grade school building, built in the late 1890s, was undergoing remodeling and expansion so she attended classes in the old Akron School north of the Methodist Church and later in an upstairs room in the high school. Finally, in 1919 the project was completed and the new school was opened where she completed her elementary schooling graduating from 8th grade in 1925. She entered Washington County High School at Akron (just built in 1916) in late 1925 graduating in 1930 in the largest class in the history of the Washington County School System, 41 seniors. Commencement was held Friday, May 23, 1930. In high school she and her best friend, Helen McCabe, were known as the "Ukulele Girls" for their ukulele duo and flapper styles, the naughty rage of the 20s. She entered Colorado State Teachers College in Greeley, Colo. in the fall quarter of the 1931-1932 school term. With the school year beginning in the fall of 1933, Margaret began teaching in rural Washington County, Colorado at the South Buena Vista School, Dist. 58. In the fall of 1934 she began teaching at Pleasant Hill school, Dist. 42, "often called the Johnson school" at that time. It was located east of the Buttes, and the Harry Johnson home was just a half mile east of the schoolhouse. "There was an old pump organ in the school, and I really loved playing it," she said in her writeup "My Years of Teaching" for the Washington County History pub 1989. "We had singing every morning." She taught at this school for three years. She wrote of the dust bowl years: "It was in the latter part of 1934, and 1935 that the dust storms were the worst. The most terrible of these storms came one afternoon (I don't remember the date.) We could see a huge black cloud rolling in from the northwest. When it came roaring over us, the schoolroom became dark and the smell of dust was heavy in the air. The parents came and got their children. I took the McDonald girls to their home which was on my way to town. I could not see the road, and all the way to town I kept squarely in the middle between the fence posts, which I could just barely see on each side. I did make it into town all right, but will always remember this frightening experience." On 21 Jun 1936, Margaret and Clifford Coyne Cooley, son of Robert Berton Cooley and Carrie Louella Miller, were married at the Presbyterian manse in Akron by Reverend G. Grey Dashen. The newlyweds, accompanied by the groom's parents, left after the ceremony for a honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls. They returned 6 Jul 1936 to begin residence in the Rena Lewis Apartments at Main St. and 5th Ave in Akron. She began her third and final year in the Pleasant Hill, Dist. 42, in the fall of 1936. In her words, "As a contrast to the previous year, there were several heavy snow storms in the school year 1936-1937. Many times snow drifts blocked sections of the road, and I had to take to the fields and pastures, opening gates and, in one instance, taking down the fence, and then of course, stopping again to close gates and put the fence back up. It was a joy one day late in the winter of 1937 when I saw the first fleecy white clouds in the sky and knew that spring was on the way". For the 1937-1938 school year she transferred to Center School, Dist. 21, north of Platner. She taught there for just one term. In the 1938-1939 school term she taught at Pleasant, Dist. 15, south of Platner. After just one year Pleasant School, to May of 1939, she began a six-year hiatus from teaching due to the duties of motherhood and demands of World War II. Coyne and Margaret's first child, a son, Daniel Berton, was born 25 October 1939 in the Anderson home in west Akron at present 581 Fremont St. (refurbished and still standing in 2007). They were still residing in the Lewis Apartments when Daniel was born but shortly after his birth they acquired (with help from R.B. Cooley) the property known as Lot Three in Block Three of the First Addition of Akron, Colorado, from J. B. Fisher. They built a Cape Cod-style house on the lot costing them just $2000. Coyne and Margaret's second child, a daughter, Catherine Lou, was born 14 Nov 1943, also in the Anderson Home. With end of World War II she resumed teaching in September 1945 at Star School, Dist. 11, for the 1945-1946 school term. for the 1946-47 school she taught at Platner, Dist 16 (8 mi E of Akron). Her salary was $116.67 per month. The next year on Sept 1, 1947 Margaret renewed her Teacher's Contract with the Dist. 16 Board of Directors to teach for the period beginning 1 Sep 1947 and ending 180 days later. Her salary was $150 per month. The school term 1947-1948, still at Platner, would be final one in Margaret's teaching career. Coyne and Margaret's third child, a daughter, Jo Ellen, was born on 13 Nov 1953. Margaret was an accomplished musician (piano, ukuele, vocal). She was a "Ukuele Girl" in her younger years. After her years of teaching in rural schools, she gave piano lessons in the 50s through the 80s. She accompanied on the piano numerous students in their instrument solo endeavors (including her son, Danny, who played, among other pieces, "Willow Echoes", on the baritone horn). While not playing the piano in any scheduled manner, she was often called upon to play for funerals and other church functions. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church Choir, faithfully singing every Sunday morning. Margaret had a life-long enthusiasm for books and writing. She served as librarian at the Akron Public Library from 1970 until her death in 1987. She fervently believed that the community should become more involved with books and their local library so she wrote the weekly newspaper column "From Off the Shelves" for the local newspaper, The Akron News Reporter. In 1976 she applied for and received a grant from the State of Colorado to engage in a Bicentennial-Centennial Oral History Project. The project's goal was to preserve valuable history that would otherwise be lost to the next generation. Various Washington County residents were interviewed and the interviewees life, work, remembrances, anecdotes and personal feelings about his/her years lived especially in Washington County were recorded onto cassette tape. Margaret died Sunday, Jan. 18, 1987, at Washington County Hospital aged 74, and is interred at the Akron Cemetery

(Medical):Physician: P.C. Brittain, D.O., 482 Adams, Akron, Colorado 80720

Notes:

Marcus DeCastro Villarosa was b 8 Oct 1893 in Imus, Cavite Provence, Philippines to Vinancio Villarosa (b. est 1872 in Cavite Provence; d. 9 Jun 1942 in Imus) and Bibiana DeCastro (b. est 1862 in Kawit, Cavite Province; d. 20 Sep 1938 in Bacoor, Cavite Provence). After the Spanish American War and the subsequent Philippines-American War in which the United States acquired Philippines as its first imperialist act, Marcus joined the United States Navy in 1909 using the pseudonym Tommy or Thomas or Timoteo for a given name and Legaspi or Legassky for a surname. In the 1920 US census there is a Thomas Legassky or Thomas Legasphy, aged 25, who was born in Philippines and whom resided on Westminster Street, Wilkes-Barre, Ward 15, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Thomas was a boarder in the household of Willard and Edna Williams. His marital status was "divorced" and he was a laborer in a machine shop earning wages. He was able to read and write. In the 1930 census, Thomas had abandoned his Navy name but it turned out as Marke Villa Rosa in the census. Similar information from the 1920 census for Thomas Legassky is found for Marcus in the 1930 census. He resided on McLeon Street, Wilkes-Barre, owned his own house valued at $6000, and had no radio set. His age at first marriage (Gertrude Thomas) was 29, his father and mother were born in Philippine Islands and they spoke Spanish. From the 1930 census we learn Marke's immigration year was 1918. He was a naturalized US citizen and spoke English, his occupation was foreman in a carpet mill, and he earned wages or salary. In 1930, the Villa Rosas household members were: Marke, aged 35; Gertrude (Sr) aged 25; Gertrude (Jr) aged 5; Gladys aged 4; Marcus (Jr) aged 3; Paul aged 1; and a Mary Mailander aged 46. Marcus D Villarosa and his wife Gertrude are found in the 1933 Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania City Directory living at 200 Barney. His WWII draft registration card says he was working at American Cart Foundry Co, Willkes-Barre PA. In a Veterans Administration application for a headstone filed by Marcus' wife, Gertrude dated 18 Feb 1969 shows an enlistment date of 7 Aug 1909, a discharge date of 6 Aug 1913, and a rank of "Matt 1st Class" (Mess Attendant)* Marcus' burial place and the location of the headstone is George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, New Jersey. At the time of the application, Gertrude E. Villarosa was living at 92 Turner Rd, Pearl River, New York. Since the dates of WWI were 28 Jul 1914 to 11 Nov 1918 and the US entered the war 6 Apr 1917 apparently Marcus was not involved in WWI.
**The Messman Branch, responsible for feeding and serving officers, was a racially segregated part of the U.S. Navy. White sailors could not serve in the Messman Branch, which was composed almost exclusively of African-Americans recruited in the U.S. and Filipino, Chinese and other foreign nationals who had been recruited overseas into the U.S. Asiatic Fleet. The "Matt" designation continued through to WWII when it attracted criticism from civil rights leaders. The Roosevelt administration was under some pressure to address this inequality and some steps were taken throughout the war, but the Navy's leadership proved resistant to major change. In February 1943 the name of the branch was changed to Steward Branch, the word "officer's" was dropped from rate titles, and "mess attendant" became "steward's mate". The new rating of "cook" should not be confused with "ship's cook," which was part of the Commissary Branch. In June 1944 cooks and stewards were authorized to wear petty officer-style rating badges. Despite the change in insignia, however, stewards and cooks were not petty officers and ranked below the most junior petty officer grade. Petty officer status was not extended to stewards until 1950. https://uniform-reference.net/insignia/usn/usn_ww2_enl_steward.html

Obituary for Marcus D. Villarosa
The Record
Hackensack, New Jersey
10 Nov 1968 p79PATERSON - Services for Marcus D. Villarosa, 75, of 147 E. 25th St [in Los Angeles] will be Monday at 2 p.m. at the Pentecostal Lighthouse Church, with Mr. Arthur Dreistadt officiating. Mr. Villarosa died Wednesday at the Wardsworth Veterans Hospital, West Los Angeles, Calif. Born in the Philippine Islands, he lived in Waldwick [New Jersey] for many years before moving here a year ago. He was a machinist for the Marlow Pump Co. in Midland Park before retiring eight years ago. He was a Navy veteran of World War I. He is survived by his widow, the former Gertrude Cressler; seven sons, John and William both of Paterson [NJ], Daniel of Waldwick [NJ], Arthur of Holmdel [NJ], David of Park Ridge [NJ], and Alan of Seattle, Wash; six daughters, Mrs. John (Gertrude) LaNane of Upper Saddle River [NJ], Mrs. William (Gladys) Strey of Wilkes Barre, Pa., Mrs. William (Ruth) Littles of Pearl River, NY, Mrs Edward (Dolores) Bigby of Sacramento, Calif, Mrs. William (Janice) McDonald of Beverly Hills, Calif, and Mrs. Leslie (Dorothy) Gilmore of Los Angeles; 24 grandchildren and a great-grandchild. A son, Paul, was killed in Vietnam last January. Burial will be in George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus [NJ]. Friends may visit at the J.H. Olthuis Funeral Home, 159 Godwin Ave, Midland Park [NJ].

Marcus married Gertrude Egbert Cressler about 1918 in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania. Gertrude (daughter of Frederick Richard Wolfe Thomas and Mary Adaline Cressler) was born on 22 May 1904 in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania; died on 27 Sep 1974 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co, California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to the 1920 census, Gertrude E Cressler aged 15 and her sister, Gwendolin T Cressler aged 17 were living with their grandparents, John M Cressler MD, and his wife Anabelle.
Gertrude Cressler Villarosa, former Paterson resident, died Friday [27 Sep 1974] in a nursing home in Santa Monica Calif. She was 70 and had lived at 2231 Veterans Ave, Los Angeles. Born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pa, Mrs. Villarosa had lived in Waldwick and Paterson for some years before moving to Los Angeles a few years ago. While in Paterson, she resided at 147 E. 25th St., and was an active member of the Pentecostal Lighthouse Church. She was the widow of Marcus Villarosa. The funeral, for which arrangements are being completed, will be held from the JH Olthuis Funeral Home, 159 Godwin Ave, Midland Park [Bergen County, New Jersey]. Surviving are seven sons: G. Daniel of Waldwick; William of Hackensack; Arthur of Holmdel; David of Cheshire, Conn; Richard and John, both of Los Angeles, and Allen of Minnesota. Four daughters: Mrs. Leslie (Dorothy) Gilmore of Los Angeles; Mrs. Edward (Dolores) Bigby of Walnut Creek, Calif; Mrs. William (Gladys) Strey of Wilkes-Barre; and Mrs. William (Ruth) Littles of Pearl River, N.Y. In addition, three sisters in Wilkes-Barre; 28 grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Besides her husband, she was predeceased by two daughters, Trudy and Janice and two sons, Joseph and Paul.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Bert

Notes:

Robert Berton Cooley (Bert) and his twin brother, Herbert Merton (Mert), were born 15 Oct 1875 to Robert Reed Cooley (1840-1917) and Stella Alfresine Owen (1850-1920) in McGregor, Iowa "right on the banks of the Mississippi River" as my Grandpa Bert Cooley told me.
The twins grew up in the McGregor area. Some time before 1894[i] the Robert Reed Cooley family consisting of Dad, Mom, Bert, and Mert came to Pierce County, Nebraska, where they settled in Plainview.
Some time before 1896[ii] Samuel Jasper Miller and his wife Mary Ellen Nickerson and his eight children moved from Iowa to Plainview. Amongst the children was Carrie Louella Miller b. 27 May 1883 in Beaman, Iowa, future wife of Robert Berton Cooley.
Bert and Carrie Louella (Lou) were wed 3 Jan 1903 in Plainview. Later in that same year, their first child, Orville Dale was born. Two other children, Carlyle Berton (b. 1905) and Leo (b. 1907), were born in Plainview but did not survive childhood.
At some point before 1906[iii] Mert acquired the Crofton Journal newspaper at Crofton, Knox County, Nebraska. Meanwhile, Bert and his wife, Carrie Louella Miller, had moved to McLean Nebraska where both taught school.
Ronald Delos Cooley was born to Herbert Merton and Elizabeth Holliday in Crofton 28 Jan 1906 and their second child, Merton Beth Cooley, was born 7 Dec 1907. Unfortunately, their mother, Elizabeth Holliday, died shortly after Beth was born. Because of the tragic loss of their mother, Ronald went to live with his grandparents, RR Cooley and Stella Owen in Plainview, Nebraska, and Beth went to live with his uncle RB Cooley in McLean, Nebraska.
In 1910 the Robert Reed Cooley family consisting of RR, Stella, Glenn, and grandchild Ronald Delos, and the Robert Berton Cooley family consisting of RB, wife CL Miller, first child Dale, and nephew Merton Beth, migrated to Kit Carson County Colorado. The RR Cooleys purchased a relinquishment just at the west edge of Flagler and the RB Cooleys purchased 158 acres about four miles west and five miles north of Flagler.
At the same time, the Samuel Jasper Miller family also migrated to Colorado but they landed in Washington County. All of the Miller children, with the exception of eldest son Odes Bert (Carrie Louella, wife of RB Cooley migrated with the Cooleys) came to Colorado and all filed on homesteads in the Anton area of Washington County.
The RB Cooley family "...was on a homestead nine miles northwest of Flagler and we had three years to prove up the claim," said his nephew, Beth Cooley. Bert began in Colorado as a teacher, earning $40 per month at the Huntley school about seven miles due north of Flagler while Lou taught at the Van Patten school at $35 per month. In the summer of 1910 when school was out he joined his Grandpa SJ Miller's threshing crew to run the engine. Since the crops near Flagler had failed in 1910, Grandpa Miller had decided to head north where the crops fared better that year. One day Bert was working about 30 miles north of Flagler near Otis Colo., when he observed the town didn't have a newspaper. That fall Bert began planning for a newspaper in Otis.
"The big reason [for starting a newspaper] was that almost all of the settlers were homesteading, and the law required that anyone who "proved up" on a homestead had to make a publication in a newspaper in the area. These publications were published for a period of six weeks and the homesteader had to pay a publication fee of $5.[iv]
Bert was fortunate enough to find an empty, one and a half story building on the main street (Washington Avenue). It was located on the east side of the street just south of the yard part of the Akron-Otis Lumber Company. The front part was used as a printing office with a rear part partitioned off as a bedroom. At the back of the building was a sort of lean-to about 15 feet square. This was the kitchen and dining area. In order to get to the two bedrooms upstairs, it was necessary to go outside, climb a flight of steps and then walk on two two-by-eight planks laid across the semi-flat roof of the lean-to to get into the upstairs apartment. [Our biggest] concern was water for domestic use. There was no municipal water system and those who lived in town had cisterns which were kept full by a man named Fred Bowen who owned a wooden tank on a wagon. It had a hand pump on it and he would deliver you a supply of water for 50 cents."
"Dad started in the newspaper business from scratch," remembered his son, Coyne Cooley. "He started the Independent on a $250 loan [from his brother-in-law, Odes Bert Miller of Iowa]...that was in 1911, and I was born the next year. We had quarters above the newspaper office, so that's what you call being born into the business." He bought some used equipment and "hired a bum printer to start the paper in Otis just to print legals", said Beth. The first edition (v1#1) of the Otis Independent was published on 5 Jan 1911.[v]
When the Independent was started there were less than 100 people living in Otis. The newspaper consisted of four pages, the front and back was "home print"; that is, the type was set in the shop and printed there. The two inside pages were called "patent" which were supplied by the Western Newspaper Union (out of business by 1982).
During the early years of the newspaper in Otis, the RB Cooley Flagler property was occupied by Lou, Dale, and Beth during the winter months, putting in the time necessary to prove up. Lou taught school, Dale went with her, and Beth was "farmed out" to a neighbor lady (in today's parlance, sent to childcare). Lou and Dale traveled in an open buggy drawn by a single mare who sometimes engaged in the capricious practice known as "balking". That is, a situation where the horse refuses to move when asked to do so. It is very exasperating."
They proved up the [Flagler] claim in March of 1913 and moved to Otis for good.
Tragically, a year later in 1914 Mert was drowned in an automobile accident on the Yankton (SD) pontoon bridge. With the untimely death of his twin brother Bert, sold the OI and he and the family left Otis and moved to Crofton, Nebraska where they continued the operation of Mert's newspaper, the Crofton Journal.
As time went on in that northeast corner of Nebraska near the Missouri River, Bert began to have problems with severe allergies (hay fever). With the climate adversely affecting him he disposed of the Crofton newspaper in 1916 and the family returned to Otis arriving on Election Day, Nov 14, 1916. Bert bought the Independent back and resumed operation of the paper he had founded. Those were the only two years the Cooleys were not involved in a Colorado paper.
"In 1917 we built our new house in Otis and we took the high school principal as a roomer. He was 22 year of age and just out of the University of Denver."[vi] Dale speculates that the principal probably influenced his choice of university as DU from which he graduated.
At some point after their return from Nebraska, the newspaper office was moved "to a make-shift shop adjoining William Whiterhurst's store [on the north]. This had been used as a place to grind and mix feed." At this new location Bert bought a typesetting machine that "was better than doing it by hand, but not much". But a clothing store located in the old grocery store adjoining the Independent office on the south caught fire and was destroyed (no date given). "The Independent was saved by the fact that the north wall of the store [and south wall of the office] was of solid concrete and the fire failed to penetrate."
Not long after that, the chance arose to get a building that had been built out as a drugstore for Justin Hay on the east side of the street across from "the hotel". Shortly, the shop was moved there, the third location for the Otis Independent since RB Cooley started the newspaper.
With the assistance of his wife and sons, he continued to operate the Otis newspaper until 1928 when they traded the paper to J.S. "Stat" Tohill for the Monte Vista Tribune. Tohill came to Otis to operate the Independent but shortly, he sold the newspaper to John W. Graves in 1929. Graves operated it until his death, Feb 22, 1982, and was closely associated with the Cooleys for over 50 years.
Meantime, in Monte Vista, Bert assumed operation of the Tribune but a few months later a better opportunity arose in Akron Colo., county seat of Washington County, whose economy was bustling in the prosperity of the pre-depression years. R.B. sold the Monte Vista Tribune and came to Akron in February of 1929 with his wife Lou, three sons, Dale, Coyne, and Bob, and two nephews, Ronald and Beth.
Akron was a little railroad town and farming community of only a few more than 1200 residents yet it boasted two newspapers, the Akron News and the Akron Reporter. Bert purchased both newspapers which were quickly consolidated resulting in the single newspaper, the Akron News-Reporter the first edition of which was published March 7, 1929. It reported details of a coroner's inquest into death of an Akron man and his son in a train accident, a fire at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Akron, and carried a front page picture of the inauguration of President Calvin Coolidge and Vice President Charles G. Dawes.
Since having five sons working on a small weekly newspaper was overkill, in 1937 Bert purchased the Eastern Colorado Leader in Limon and Dale and Ronald were sent down there to assume operation of the newspaper. Soon they acquired the Genoa Sentinel, the two papers were consolidated, and the Limon Leader was born.
Youngest son, Bob exited the Akron News-Reporter in 1943, went to his wife Eleanor Newcomb's hometown, Mountain Home Idaho, where he started the Mountain Home News. Soon Bob began to feel the ill-effects of arthritis so he moved down to the drier climate of Arizona where he eventually became a Professor of Journalism at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff in 1976.
R.B. and Lou owned the Akron News-Reporter until 1955 when they retired and turned the operation over to Coyne and Beth who formed a partnership shortly thereafter.
In 1972 the Limon Leader was sold and Dale and Ronald went into retirement. When the Akron News-Reporter was sold in 1979 it marked the end of the Cooley family newspaper dynasty "since none of the children was interested in getting into the business", Coyne said. That was mostly true until Jim, son of Ronald, took over the Oxford (Nebraska) News and is still publishing the newspaper in 2013.
After a brief illness, Robert Berton Cooley died in the Washington County Hospital in Akron, Colo. On 12 Dec 1962. He was buried in the Otis Cemetery.
His wife, Carrie Louella Miller died in the Nursing Wing on the south side of Washington County Hospital 10 Aug 1973 and she also was buried in the Otis Cemetery.
------------------------------------------------------i Their fourth child, Glenn Syren Cooley, was born in Plainview 14 Jul 1894. ii His youngest child, Letta May Miller was born in Plainview 18 Mar 1896. iii Mert's first child, Ronald Delos Cooley was born in Crofton 28 Jan 1906 when Mert had control of the Crofton Journal. iv "Otis, the People, the Places, and the Newspaper" by Dale Cooley, The Otis Independent, vol 70 no 14 v *From some later edition numbers (e.g. vol 30, no 51 dated 18 Dec 1941) I have determined that v1#1 of the OI lay in the range Dec 25, 1910 to Jan 5, 1911. Since most accounts say the OI began publication in 1911 I will summarily establish 5 Jan 1911 (a Thursday) as the date of the first edition, v1#1.
vi Dale

(Medical):I attended the deceased from November 11, 1962 to December 12, 1962 and last saw him alive on December 12, 1962. Death occurred at 5:25 A.M. on the date stated above. Attendant: Park D. Keller, MD, Akron, Colo. Dec. 13, 1962

Robert married Carrie Louella Miller on 3 Jan 1903 in Plainview, Pierce Co, Nebraska. Carrie (daughter of Samuel Jasper Miller and Mary Ellen Nickerson) was born on 27 May 1883 in Beaman, Grundy Co, Iowa; died on 10 Aug 1973 in Akron, Washington Co, Colorado; was buried on 13 Aug 1973 in Otis Cemetery, Washington Co, Colorado. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Lou

Notes:

Carrie Louella Miller was born 27 May 1883 in Beaman, Grundy County, Iowa, thedaughter of Samuel Jasper Miller and Mary Ellen Nickerson. Carrie was the fifth of nine children: (i) Child (1874-1874), (ii) Odes Bert (1875-1943), (iii) Frank Gree(1878-1958), (iv) Walter Vivian (1880-1961), (v) Carrie Louella (1883-1973), (vi) Elvira Ann (1885-1912), (vii) Emma Frances (1889-1945), (viii) Robert Nickerson (1893-1958), (ix) Letta May (1896-1986).
Some time before 1896[i] Samuel Miller moved from Calhoun County, Iowa to Pierce County, Nebraska. Coincidentally, Robert Reed Cooley (whose son, Robert Berton would become the husband of Carrie in 1903) had moved from Clayton County Iowa to Pierce County, Nebraska before 1894[ii]
Carrie, better known as Lou, was married to Robert Berton Cooley in Pierce County, Nebraska on 2 Jan 1903. Later that year, they had their first child, Orville Dale. Tragedy was to follow with their next two children, however. Carlyle Berton, "Lyle", was born 18 May 1905 near Plainview but died in childhood on10 May 1909. Leo Cooley was born 17 Feb 1907 but survived only 14 days to 3 Mar 1907. The young couple didn't attempt any more children until 1912.
Before 1909 Lou and Bert moved to McLean, Nebr, where they both taught school.
In 1910 three families in Northeastern Nebraska immigrated to plains of northeastern Colorado: The Robert Berton Cooley consisting of Bert, Lou, Dale, and a nephew Beth took up a homestead 4 miles west and 5 miles north of Flagler in Kit Carson County. The Robert Reed Cooley family consisting of RR, Stella his wife and grand nephew Ronald Cooley bought a relinquishment just west of Flagler. The SJ Miller family consisting of SJ, wife Mary Ellen and six children homesteaded in Washington County near Arickaree about 30 miles north of Flagler.
In order to fulfill the requirements of the Homestead Act of 1862, the properties had to be continuously occupied and improvements made for a period of five years before title was transferred from the Government to the homesteader.
Dale writes, "When we went to the homestead, there was a sod house already there. It was a one-room affair with a cow-chip-burning stove in one end and a bed in the other."[iii] Bert began teaching, earning $40 per month at the Huntley school about seven miles due north of Flagler while Lou taught at the Van Patten school at $35 per month.
In the summer of 1910 when school was out Bert joined his Grandpa SJ Miller's threshing crew to run the engine. Since the crops near Flagler had failed in 1910, Grandpa Miller had decided to head north where the crops fared better that year. One day Bert was working about 30 miles north of Flagler near Otis Colo., when he observed the town didn't have a newspaper. That fall Bert began planning for a newspaper in Otis.
The Otis Independent was born with its first issue published on Jan 5, 1911. Bert took up residence in Otis but, nonetheless, the requirement remained that the property near Flagler be occupied. That task was fulfilled by Lou, Dale, and Beth until 1913 when the property was proved up.
Life on the Colorado prairie was not a bed of roses for the kids and mom, who continued teaching. Beth had to be "farmed our" (taken to childcare) every morning and Dale accompanied his mom to school. Quoting the Dale Cooley paper:[iv]
"One day we came home and my mother was about to lay Beth on the bed when she heard the warning, characteristic "w-h-r-r-r" of the rattlesnake. She leaped backwards, went to the stove and got the poker with which she made short work of the rattler. How it to into the house and under the bed, we never knew. Of course, it was an old soddy and so we just had to think that in had been up in the roof area and had fallen down [inside].
"Another day, my mother went to the barn to get the mare "Bess" out to hitch up to go to town when she again got the "message" from a rattlesnake. This one was near the feedbox in the barn. She came to the house, got the "hog-laig"1 and went back out and with a couple of well-place shots, got rid of that threat. She was an excellent shot with a revolver because she and practiced a lot.
"Upon another occasion we were coming home from school one evening and she saw a hawk on a fence post. She stopped the horse, got out the trusty .32 and knocked the hawk off the post. She had to admire her own marksmanship so she went up to examine the bird. When she got to it and was reaching down to pick it up the hawk, in its death throes, drove its filthy claws into her leg just above the ankle. She bled very freely and when we got home she got out the old reliable turpentine and Epsom salts and gave herself the treatment. She was afraid of what she called "blood-poisoning" and what we know today as tetanus."
Mrs. Cooley was a Worthy Matron (presiding officer) of the Order of the Eastern Star[v] and received a pin for 50 year membership in the organization in July 1966. In 1967 she became a life member of the Martha Washington Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Lou was active member of the Akron Fortnightly Club, serving as president for one term.[vi]
Carrie Louella Miller Cooley had been a patient for almost four years in the nursing wing of Washington County Hospital in Akron Colo, when she died 10 Aug 1973. She was buried alongside her husband Robert Berton Cooley in the Otis Colorado Cemetery.
---------1 hogleg A large heavy caliber handgun, originally used to refer to a Colt Walker or similar sized revolver. Still in use today when referring to a big bore , long barreled handgun , typically a single action revolver

---------------------------------------------------i Letta May Miller was born in Plainview, Pierce Co, Nebraska 18 Mar 1896 ii Glenn Syren Cooley was born in Plainview, Pierce Co, Nebraska on 14 Jul 1894 iii Dale Cooley paper entitled "The Story of the RB Cooley Family in Washington County"
iv Ibidv The Order of the Eastern Star is a Freemasonry-related fraternal organization open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by Boston, Massachusetts, lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a former Freemason official. The order is based on teachings from the Bible, but is open to people of all religious beliefs. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in twenty countries and approximately 500,000 members under its General Grand Chapter. Members of the Order are aged 18 and older; men must be Master Masons and women must have specific relationships with Masons. Originally, a woman would have to be the daughter, widow, wife, sister, or mother of a master Mason, but the Order now allows other relatives as well as allowing Job's Daughters, Rainbow Girls, Members of the Organization of Triangle (NY only) and members of the Constellation of Junior Stars (NY only) to become members when of age. The Order was created by Rob Morris in 1850 when, while confined by illness, he set down the principles of the order in his Rosary of the Eastern Star. By 1855, he had organized a "Supreme Constellation" in New York, which chartered chapters throughout the United States. In 1866, Dr. Morris started working with Robert Macoy, and handed the Order over to him while Morris was traveling in the Holy Land. Macoy organized the current system of Chapters, and modified Dr. Morris' Rosary into a Ritual. On December 1, 1874, Queen Esther Chapter No. 1 became the first Prince Hall Affiliate chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star when it was established in Washington, D.C. by Thornton Andrew Jackson. The "General Grand Chapter" was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 6, 1876. Committees formed at that time created the Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star in more or less its current form. Traditionally, a woman who is elected Associate Conductress will the following year be elected to Conductress, then the next year Associate Matron, and the next year Worthy Matron. A man elected Associate Patron will usually the next year be elected Worthy Patron. Usually the woman who is elected to become Associate Matron will let it be known who she wishes to be her Associate Patron, so the next year they will both go to the East together as Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron. There is no male counterpart to the Conductress and Associate Conductress. Only women are allowed to be Matrons, Conductresses, and the Star Points (Adah, Ruth, etc.) and only men can be Patrons. vi Fortnightly clubs were women's organizations with the object of the group being "mental culture and mutual helpfulness". Each meeting began with the reciting of a short prayer comprising an invocation, petition, and conclusion called the "Collect". Mary Stewart wrote the Collect in 1904 as a member of the Longmont (Colorado} Fortnightly Club. It was written to instill a sense of unity among women working together with wide interests and important goals. The meeting had as its basis a general topic, e.g. Fine Arts, Civil Rights, Education, Conservation, etc. and for each general topic one member developed a specific program, e.g. for Fine Arts, "What Makes a Masterpiece" or for Conservation, "What's Happening to Our Land?" The original Fortnightly Club was established [in Columbia, Mo.] in October 1892 for [University of Missouri, Columbia] faculty wives for the dual purpose of providing "congenial associations for the wives of faculty members" and "building community resources and good will at the University." Fortnightly clubs were affiliated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC). The GFWC had its origins in 1890, when Sorosis, a women's literary club founded by journalist Jane Cunningham Croly, issued invitations to other women's literary clubs to form an organization with the goal of uniting "women's clubs to enhance community service by volunteers throughout the world."

From Beaman's First 100 Years "In the year 1856 Solon S. Beaman bought this land. In 1860 he moved his family (among which was son H.H.) from Rock City, a small village in Stephenson County, Illinois, reaching their Iowa farm September 30, where they went to work to build a new home." "The town of Beaman is located in the northwest quarter of Section 34, in Clay Township, Grundy County. The land was owned by H.H. Beaman and was platted on October 16 and recorded at Grundy Center October 18, 1875 by the Beamans for the town which would always bear the family name.

(Medical):I attended the deceased from 11/5/72 to 8/10/73 and last saw her alive on 8/10/73 (signed) R.H. Tedrick, D.O., 501 Main, Akron, Colorado 80720 August 11, 1973

Notes:

Married:
MARRIED At Pierce, Saturday afternoon by Judge Williams Bert Cooley and Miss Lou Miller. The contracting parties both reside northwest of Plainview and are will and favorably known by all. They will make their home with Mr. Cooley's parents for the present. Judge: J.A. Williams, Plainview, Nebraska presiding; Present: Herbert Merton Cooley and Alvina Miller. We extend congratulations.

Notes:

Nelson Evans Sears was born in Plano, Kendall County, Illinois on 15 Aug 1876 "of English and Welsh parentage"* namely Charles Madison Sears and Katherine Evans. In 1880 he moved with his father Charles Madison and his second wife, Celia Chambers, to Scranton, Iowa living for two years on the old John Henning farm two miles from town. In 1882 he returned to his home state where he made his home with his grandparents, Archibald Sears and Rachel Maria Carver, in Sandwich, Illinois. In May of 1886, he traveled to Nebraska to live with his father on a farm near Aurora. Four years later, in 1890, he returned to Plano to attend school. In 1896 he returned to Aurora to work on his father's farm. In the winter of 1898-1899 he attended Business College in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1899 he began farming 80 acres of land in Nebraska which his grandmother had bought for him in 1897 for $2600. Nelson sold his Nebraska land early in 1901 for $7200 and traveled to Colorado in an emigrant car chartered by a David Titler arriving in Akron in March of that year. He worked in the harvest fields southwest of Akron for Ira M. Barnhouse. However, after a brief trip to California, he returned to his father's farm in Aurora, Nebraska in the fall of 1901. He returned to Colorado in 1903 where he resumed work with Ira M Barnhouse. In May of 1905 under the Homestead Act of 20 May 1862, Nelson E Sears obtained the South half of the SE quarter of Section 3, and the West half of the NE quarter of Section 10 both in Township 1S of Range 55W of the Sixth Principal Meridian, Washington County, Colorado containing 160 acres. On 20 Sep 1907 he was united in marriage to Ira Morgan Barnhouse's daughter, Edna Maude. Nelson proved up his homestead on 17 May 1909 and was issued Homestead Certificate No. 0585 of the Register of the Land Office at Sterling, Colorado. Later in 1909 Nelson and his wife Edna moved from their homestead into the town of Akron, Colorado where he purchased Lots 1, 2, & 3 facing Golden St. and Lots 10, 11, & 12 facing Gunnison St, Block 11, Original Town of Akron. On 22 Mar 1910 Nelson and Edna's first child, Alva Raymond Sears, was born in Akron. Their second, Margaret May Sears, was born 23 May 1912, and their third and last child, Faye Eleanor Sears, was born 8 Aug 1914. In 1916 Nelson began carrying mail on RFD (Rural Free Delivery) Route 1 out of the Akron Post Office. He carried mail for 25 years until 1941 at which time he retired from the Post Office and assumed the duties of Justice of the Peace for Washington County, Colorado, a position he retained until his death, 17 May 1948.
--------------*According to Nelson Sears' journal dated 1895. Sears is, indeed, an English name traceable back to Richard Sares, who arrived in America before 1632 but the Evans family, Evans typically a Welsh name, actually emigrated from Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

(Medical):Attendant: Park D. Keller MD, Akron, Colorado, May 19, 1948

Nelson married Edna Maude Barnhouse on 20 Sep 1907 in Akron, Washington Co, Colorado. Edna (daughter of Ira Morgan Barnhouse and Mary Francis Albin) was born on 24 Apr 1879 in South Bloomingville, Hocking Co, Ohio; was christened on 28 Aug 1881 in Nelsonville, Athens Co, Ohio; died on 24 Aug 1971 in Brush, Morgan Co, Colorado; was buried on 24 Aug 1971 in Akron Cemetery, Washington Co, Colorado. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Edna Maude Barnhouse, eldest daughter of Ira Morgan and Mary Francis Albin Barnhouse was born in 24 Apr 1879 in Bloomingville, Ohio and died 24 Aug 1971 in Brush, Colorado at the age of 92 years and 4 months. When two years old, she moved with her parents to Shelby, Nebraska, where she lived for the next five years. In the spring of 1887 she moved with her parents to a homestead near Abbott, Washington County, Colorado, 35 miles southwest of Akron, Colo, where in that locality she grew to womanhood. On Sept. 20, 1907 she was united in marriage to Nelson E. Sears of Aurora, Neb. In the fall of 1909 they moved from their homestead into the town of Akron, Colo., where their three children were born: One son, Alva Raymond (in the Armed Forces in England during World War II), and two daughters, Margaret May and Faye Eleanor. During these years Edna was an active member of the Presbyterian church and of the Rebecca lodge which she joined 2 Oct 1915 and of which she was a member for 46 years. She was a willing participant in many civic activities of the town. After her husband, Nelson E. Sears, died in May, 1948, she maintained her own home in Akron for a number of years, later living with her daughter, Faye Johnston, in San Francisco, Calif. She eventually returned to Akron where she stayed with her daughter Margaret Cooley and family before entering Sunset Manor Nursing Home in Brush, Colo., in July, 1969. As long as her health permitted, she lived a vital and active life, loved music [Tex Ritter], and was always greatly interested in current events. - Obituary in the Akron News Reporter.

(Research):South Bloomingville is an unincorporated community in western Benton Township, Hocking County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43152. It is located at the intersection of State Routes 56 and 664, slightly west of Hocking Hills State Park. Note: In the Hocking County Births journal, "So. Bloomingville" was differentiated from "Benton Township". Also note that Edna's elder brother, two years earlier, was listed as having been born in Swan Twp, Vinton County (formed in 1850), bordering Benton Twp, Hocking Co (formed in 1818), on the southeast. However, the parents, in both cases, are listed as having resided in South Bloomingville.
Nelsonville is a city in northwest York Township in Athens County, Ohio. It is 60 miles southeast of Columbus. The population was 5,373 in the 2020 US Census thus maintaining city status in the State of Ohio. First settled in 1814, Nelsonville became incorporated in 1838. The town became famous for its coal mining and brick industries.